There were sighs of relief, tears of joy and celebratory embraces at schools across the country on Tuesday as matriculants finally received their 2025 National Senior Certificate (NSC) results.
After months of uncertainty and anticipation, the Class of 2025 can take pride in an overall national pass rate of 88%, the highest matric pass rate in South Africa’s history, representing a 0.7% increase from 2024.
In total, 88.2% of candidates passed, while a record-breaking 345,000 learners achieved bachelor’s passes, the highest number ever recorded.
The Western Cape placed fifth nationally with a pass rate of 88.2%, in a year that also marked a major milestone for the first time, all nine provinces achieved pass rates above 80%.
KwaZulu-Natal topped the provincial rankings with 90.6%, followed by the Free State (89.33%), Gauteng (89.06%), North West (88.49%) and the Western Cape (88.2%).
The Northern Cape recorded the largest improvement, achieving 87.79%, while Mpumalanga (86.5%), Limpopo (86.15%) and the Eastern Cape (84.17%) also posted strong performances.
Independent school candidates also excelled, with the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) recording an overall pass rate of 98.31%.
At schools across the Western Cape, many learners arrived on Tuesday already knowing their fate, having checked their results online in the early hours of the morning.
Rocklands High matriculant Nicole Hess said accessing results online ahead of time helped take the edge off results day. “It lessens the stress and anxiety that comes with having to wait,” she said.
Emihle Stenge
Sinovuyo Zizi
Sinokwazi Tshwele
Emotions were especially raw for Tiffany Douw’s mother, who could not contain her tears when she learned her daughter had passed with a bachelor’s pass.
Tiffany’s matric journey was marked by extraordinary resilience. She fell pregnant near the end of her Grade 11 year and, while completing her final examinations, gave birth to her son, Malakai Douw, in July, during the matric exam period.
Despite the challenges, Tiffany persevered supported by her family and the baby’s father, Tyler Wagner, who also passed matric with flying colours. The young couple said their shared goal is to build career-driven futures as they work towards providing the best possible life for their son.
For Xavier Cornelius, matric marks another milestone on an already ambitious journey. Competing at provincial level in mixed martial arts (MMA), Xavier now hopes to qualify for national competitions, with his sights ultimately set on the World Championships.
At Westridge High School, emotions ran high as learners collected their statements of results in person, hugging friends and teachers after months of hard work.
Among them was Aisha Cornelius, who helped the school achieve a 90.3% pass, a significant improvement from a 78.5% pass rate the previous year.
“This is for mommy and daddy. I always want to make my parents proud,” Aisha said. “I would sit and study until the last minute. It was for myself, but mainly for them. They were my support and my strength.”
A teacher walking past congratulated the class, commenting on how proud she was of learners who had gone “over and above” to make both themselves and their teachers proud.
Aisha said she is still weighing her future options. “There are so many choices. It’s something I’ll have to pray about,” she said.
Best friends, Amy Lee De Vos and Ashlin Fisher, both plan to study at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). The pair said they checked their results online before heading to school.
“It will be heartbreaking if we have to leave each other’s side, but that’s a hurdle for another day,” they said. “Today we say thank you, Lord, for helping us pass.”
Important dates:
Remarking and re-checking applications: 13–27 January 2026
Fees: R120 for a remark, R30 for a re-check
May/June 2026 exams: Registration closes 6 February 2026
Remark results: Expected from 4 March 2026
Weekend Argus
